Paterson Ewen: Inspiration and Influence

February 8 to June 19, 2011

Paterson Ewen is a towering figure in the recent history of Canadian art, and since his death in 2002 there has not been a major showing of his work. When he made the transition from painting on canvas to painting on plywood in the early 1970s he seemed, to many who had followed his work, to have bridged an extraordinary divide: between painting and sculpture, and between representation of images and the actual process of making them. His work subsequently influenced and encouraged many artists – to experiment, to engage with personal subject matter and reintroduce representational appearances. This exhibition highlights the major works in the AGO’s authoritative collection of Ewen’s work, yet places this collection in a larger context, displaying—for the first time—works by Ewen alongside artwork by the artists and movements that influenced and encouraged him. This exhibition is curated by AGO director Matthew Teitelbaum, a leading voice among those who count Ewen as one of Canada’s most important artists.

The Art Gallery of Ontario will present Paterson Ewen: Inspiration and Influence, curated by Matthew Teitelbaum, the AGO’s Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO, from February 8 to June 19, 2011.

Working from the concept of ekphrasis, one art form paying homage to another, Ontario poet Barry Dempster created and presents a new poem in response to a painting by Paterson Ewen from the AGO’s collection.
Recorded: September 29, 2009 in Walker Court

This bibliography updates the comprehensive bibliography (see pages 167 – 180) that was provided in the catalogue for the Art Gallery of Ontario exhibition Paterson Ewen, ed. by Matthew Teitelbaum and co-published by the AGO and Douglas & McIntyre in 1996.

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